Golf putting device



Oct. 18, 1932. T. H. DECKER 1,832,784

GOLF PUTTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 18, 1932. DECKER- 1,882,784

GOLF PUTTING DEVICE Filed'Feb. 25. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2' T/reaaore' fliezier ELM Oct. 18, 1932. DECKER 1,882,784

I GOLF PUT-TING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3i 1? @34 7 4 EEK,

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E [:1 Theodore /i Dec/rel" .0! lm q Patented Oct. 18, 1932.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

THEODORE H. DECKER, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS GOLF PUTTING DEVICE A'pplication filed February 25, 1927. Serial No. 170,767.

This invention relates to a golf putting ball would travel on a natural putting green.

A further object is to provide a golf putting apparatus With means for securing a fine adjustment of the indicating means.

A further object is to provide a golf putting apparatus which is eflicient and accurate in use and economical to manufacture.

A still further object is to provide a golf putting apparatus with which golf strokes may be played on an artificialgreen to secure desired results on a natural green.

Other and further important objects and improvements will become more-apparent from the following description and appended claims.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top view of the device.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line III-1110f Figure 2..

Figure 4 is a'fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on line, IVIV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VV of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on line VI-VI of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on line VIIVII of Figure 3, with parts omitted.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on line VIIIVIII of Figure 7, with parts in elevation.

As shown on the drawings:

The'reference numeral 1 indicates generally an outer casing, made preferabl of sheet metal, of a putting device embo ying the principles of my invention. The casing 1 comprises an upper narrow housing 2 centrally positioned upon a lower enlargement 3 of the casing. In the front wall of said enlarged portion 3 there is provided a narrow arched opening 4 extending to the bottom thereof through which a putted golf ball may enter the device. As best shown in F igures 1 and 3, a roll 5 of carpeting 7 mounted upon a shaft 6 is adapted when the device is in use, to be unwound sufficiently to provide the desired length of carpeting 7 in front of the machine. Said carpeting may be of any suitable material, such as plush, havinga relatively long nap, and serves as an artificial putting green; The length of carpeting 7 in front of the device may be laid off as shown at 8 in linear measure to denote the distance of a gold ball 9 in front of the opening 4. A handle 6a on the shaft 6 serves to wind up the carpeting.

Within the upper portion 2 of the casing there is positioned a wheel 10 mounted upon anti-friction bearings 11 on a stub shaft 12 (Figure 5) suspended from the walls of the upper housing 2 by means of a bracket 100 and straps 101. Vertically, below the axis of said wheel 10, there is secured to the rim thereof a radially extending plate 12 provided with a brace member 13. There is positioned infront of said plate 12 an im- 35 peller, denoted as a whole by the numeral 14, comprising a horizontal bar 15 pivotally suspended from vertical sets ofspaced straps 16, said sets of straps 16 being pivoted at their upper ends to parallel horizontal rods 17 extending the length of the device. An impact plate 18 is secured to the front end of said bar 15 in vertical position by means of braces 19 and in normal position rests against the inside of the opening 4, said plate 18 being of sufficient size to completely close the open: ing 4 in the front wall of said device. It will thus be apparent that a golf ball aecurately directed toward the opening 4 will strike the plate 18, causing the impeller 14 to move rearwardly against the plate 12, thus imparting to the wheel 10 a sudden blow pro portional to the force of the impact of the golf ball against the plate 18. A transverse bar serves to limit the backward movement of the plate 12, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. Movement of the wheel 10 is translated by means of an angle-shaped member 21, secured tangentially to the rim of said wheel 10, to an L-shaped lever 22 pivotally mounted as at 23 (Figures 3 and 8). Said lever 22 carries at its front end an offset extension 24 extending through a groove 25 in an arcuate-shaped portion 26 formed in the front wall of the housing 2. A double ended pointer 27 is suitably secured to the extremity of the offset extension 24'and is adapted to indicate upon a double scale 28 laid off on the face of the arcuate portion 26 the distance of any particular putt.

In order to insure delicate balance ofthe lever 22, said lever is provided at its rear end with an adjustable counter balance weight 29 threadedly mounted upon a bolt 30 extending from said lever end. Upon an enlarged hub 31 forming a bearing for said lever 22, there is rigidly mounted above the pivot 23 a quadrant-shaped brake shoe 32, counter balanced by a disk weight 33 adjustable upon an oppositely radially extending threaded rod 33. Means for applying brak ing pressure to said shoe 32 comprises a bar 34 of T-shaped cross section pivoted intermediate its ends by means of a hinge 35 to a bracket 36 from the rear wall of the housing 2. A bearing surface is provided between the face of the shoe 32 and the lower flange of the bar34 comprising a rod or lug 37 secured to the under surface of said flange. The ver-' tical web of the bar 34 is provided with an elongated slot 38 serving as a guide for a pin 39, said pin being mounted in a slotted block or weight 40 slidable upon the bar 34. A hanthe 41 for this purpose extends from the weight 40 through the rear wall of the housing 2, thus enabling the bearing pressure of the lug 37 against the brake shoe 32 to be adjusted by varying the position of the weight 40. A fixed counter weight 42 is secured to the rear end of the bar 34. The front end of said 'bar is provided with an enlarged aperture 43, so that said bar 34 may be loosely su pended from a pin 44 carried by a rigid strap 45 secured to one of the supporting straps 101. i Y

Before using my device, it is firstcalibrated by means of a mechanical putter such as described in my copending application above mentioned. Suitable adjustments are made by means of the braking device and the various counterweights above described until the device accurately records the distance of a putt as made by the mechanical putting device, the distance being recorded in feet upon the scales 26. After the putting device has been calibrated for any particular green, it may be used for practicing putting in the manner described above. Constant practice with the device increases both the accuracy of the player and also gives him a fine appreciation of the force necessary to putt the ball any given distance. Since the device can be calibrated for any particular green on a natural outdoor course, it is of inestimable value in increasing the proficiency of the player in his outdoor game.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a golf putting device, a pivotally mounted lever having an arcuate surface concentric with the lever pivot and arranged above the same, means set in motion by the impact of a golf ball for actuating said lever, and weighted means for applying adjustable lpraking pressure against said arcuate surace.

2. In a golf putting device, a substantially balanced pivotally mounted lever, a quadrant shaped member thereon providing a curved surface concentric with the lever pivot and arranged above the same, and means for applying adjustable braking pressure against said surface.

3. A golf putting apparatus comprising a casing, an oscillatable wheel having a plate depending therefrom, an impeller adapted to be displaced by the impact of a golf ball, a bar attached to said impellerand arranged to strike said plate, a lever pivoted near one end, an arm on said wheel arranged to rock said lever, a pointer on the outer end of said lever arranged to move over a scale, and adjustable counterweight on the other end of said lever, a sector on said lever at the pivot thereof, an adjustable weight acting on said sector to retard movement of the same and its connected lever, and a rolled fabric in the casing arranged to be extended to provide a surface for the golf ball as the same is driven towards said impeller. I I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County,

Illinois.

THEODORE H. DECKER. 

